If you are eager to do good, but don't know how or to where to channel your support, today you can choose a cause that is close to your heart among hundreds of campaigns and personal stories. November 29 is Generous Tuesday - a day to donate to causes. The initiative takes place in 130 countries around the world, including Bulgaria, and comes in response to Black Friday, when our spending is often spur of the moment and sometimes pointless.

"All over the world, people feel the need to celebrate helping because it is so important to both the recipient and the giver. Giving makes you feel good, and gives you a sense of being useful to someone else in your hectic everyday life. Generous Tuesday is a very nice holiday," Elitsa Barakova, Executive Director of BCause Foundation, a partner of the initiative in Bulgaria, told BNR.

"Let's hope this obsession with doing good takes hold of us in the same way that we are already susceptible to the shopping mania.

Nowadays there are many opportunities to help. Generous Tuesday is also a celebration of online crowdfunding platforms. Today there are many organizations vying for the attention of givers, and their projects are featured on the two donation platforms that are partners of Generous Tuesday in Bulgaria - DMS and PlatformBG."

The cause which received the most support on Generous Tuesday last year was that of The Volunteers of St. George - people with different professions who distribute food three times a week to poor and homeless people in front of the Aleksandrovska Hospital in Sofia. Thanks to donations, they now have their own truck, which they use to deliver hot food to the homes of elderly people in need.

On the day we celebrate generosity, the 20th edition of the "Bulgarian Christmas" charity initiative begins. It is under the patronage of the Head of State and supports children in need of diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. Every year hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians contribute so that these children can have a chance for treatment and a future.

"There are dozens of campaigns around us every day. We appeal to you to choose the cause that is close to your heart - whether it is raising funds for sick children, or supporting projects in the field of culture, or education - anything that would help to change our environment, to feel that we are giving a chance to the less fortunate, that we are giving a chance to talent," Barakova said.

Doing good requires daily effort, and Generous Tuesday is a good time to make a long-term commitment to a cause. Today is also the time to spread the word about the good we do to inspire others after us.

"We're not all millionaire philanthropists, but we all have the opportunity to share what we do, what moves our hearts, and encourage a few more people, maybe dozens or hundreds, to join us. So today's sharing has nothing to do with bragging. Today, we want to share our inspiration to do good, to tell each and every person that they are needed. There is a need for much more help than one person alone could provide, so our call today is "help us do good together." And if you don't find your cause on the donation platforms - create it! There is always a need for new ambassadors to say "my cause needs your attention".

Interview: Lora Tarkoleva

Text: Elena Karkalanova